Another Week

I have a huge list of things I need to be doing but instead I'm here, updating our neglected blog. Our house needs some serious cleaning. One big bummer about having all hardwood floors. The sweeping NEVER ends. I sweep the kitchen and living room at least twice a day, usually more, but I can't bring myself to sweep the bedrooms that often. I can't believe I have to sweep the bedrooms. That is a room that you vacuum. I used to laugh when my sister told me she was sweeping and mopping the bedrooms in her house. I've always had carpet in my bedroom so it just sounds so funny to me. But now, here I am having to do it. And it is still weird to me. I guess what goes around comes around.
We finally got pictures put up on our walls and have gotten all but 2 boxes emptied so it is starting to feel more like home now. It is such a good feeling to be able to find a home for everything, especially all those random little things that you aren't really sure why you keep them, but figure you might need them someday. At the same time I have been able to find a use for all those drawers in my kitchen. We have THREE junk drawers. Yes, three. I have no idea what's in them but I'm sure that someday I'll find a use for something in there.
We have LOVED the time change with Daylight Savings. I know that was a couple weeks ago, but I didn't want to speak too soon and have Emma decide to change her new schedule. Before the time change she would go to bed around 7:30 and wake up at 6:15. Now she goes to bed around 8:00 and doesn't wake up until 8 AM. I am loving it!!! As I have read everyone's blogs this week about not getting sleep, I have started to feel guilty about all the sleep I'm getting...and then I remember I have less than 2 months until my sleepless nights start. So, I'm going to enjoy it. So for now, thank you Emma!
I can't believe how big Emma is getting. She'll be 2 in 3 1/2 months. It's so weird to me. But we love her. She has such a huge personality and is so funny. She loves to be outside and knows exactly how to get to the school playground and the park by our house. I promise I'm not trying to be one of "those" moms. I really am amazed at all she knows and all she can do. It doesn't seem like a person that small should be able to know so much. She can put short sentences together, or at least get all the major words, and knows several lines to several songs. It definitely makes life easier being able to communicate with her. Jon's sisters taught her how to say I'm cute, so now she walks up to people and smiles really big and says "I cute". Cute has also somehow become a letter in the alphabet. It goes ABCDEPCuteRT...and some other random letters. It sounds so funny.
It's also interesting to me to watch her and her personality. At home she is always on the go, always talking, always having to do something. But when we go out, she has to take things slowly. Every time we go to the park she stands by me for a few minutes watching the other kids before she will go play. Even when she is playing she usually stops any time another kid comes near her and just watches whatever they're doing. Jon and I are both shy, so it makes me wonder what she'll be like as she gets older. For now, it's just a good thing that she's as cute as she is because she can throw some major tantrums and has some of the biggest meltdowns over the smallest things. The terrible twos have definitely started early and I have no idea how to deal with it. For now, I just put myself in time out. I lock myself in my room and it usually takes a couple minutes before she stops crying and starts playing with something. Hopefully this will keep working.
Well, I didn't mean for this to be so long so I'll end. Here are a few pictures...

Who needs a slide when you can go down the stairs? It's hard to tell because the stairs are so small, but that is what Emma is sliding down...well bumping down. It makes us laugh because she will only slide down the stairs, even though there are 2 slides right behind her.

This car seat was my great deal of the week. It is a brand new Graco car seat with tags still on and everything and I only paid $30. The lady bought a double stroller and it came with it, which is why she sold it so cheap. Turns out she's also LDS and is in our stake...small world.

Emma decided that this was her chair and plopped down in it to watch a little tv. I realized that they recommend you use this until your baby is 22 pounds. Emma weighs 22 pounds right now and there is NO WAY I would be using this with her. Who comes up with these things???

Yes...Emma STILL uses a bottle(only at nap and bed time). It's very frustrating but I just don't know how to get rid of it. What kills me is that she was the baby who refused to take a bottle. She wouldn't take it until she was 11 months old and now we can't get rid of it. Any ideas???